Psychopath Billionaire | BBANGSAZ

viii

My mind was completely blank as I lay on my back against the wall. My legs were still shackled. I tried pulling the chains from their hinges, but they didn't budge.

This woman was worse than Jigsaw from the Saw movies. Eventually, I gave up and decided to endure this torture she liked to call punishment. I didn't know what time it was because I spent most of the time sleeping on the cold floor. A small patch of sunlight from the tiny window at the top indicated whether it was morning, noon, or night.

I knew it had been a few days since I had been in this basement, a few days since I had felt the sun. A few days since I had breathed freedom. I hated to admit it, but I missed my room upstairs. Maybe that's what Minji wanted, as cunning and manipulative as she was, she wanted me to realize I had paid a high price for taking freedom for granted.

Jihyo came in every day in the morning, took me to a bathroom adjoining the basement, and let me bathe for a few minutes. Then she dressed me up like Minji's doll, did my hair, and put me back in the chains. She would check on me a few hours later and serve food twice a day. The food they served wasn't the kind I usually ate with Minji. This food tray was like a bland mixture of mashed potatoes with gravy and boiled vegetables. I was deprived of all luxurious rights. As the days went by, sitting in the darkness, I cried for hours feeling utterly helpless.

I hadn't seen Minji at all during that time. I wondered how long she planned to keep me here. One night, after dinner, when I was about to fall asleep, I heard footsteps approaching. It wasn't usual for Jihyo to come by after cleaning the dishes. I looked up, only to see it wasn't Jihyo.

"Lights on." Minji entered the room calmly as the LED lights flickered on. She was dressed in a white half-sleeve t-shirt over light blue jeans. Her dark hair was to one side. Her piercing brown eyes inspected me with what I supposed was pity.

"How are you, Hanni?" she asked, pulling a chair to sit in front of me like a police officer here to interrogate me.

No tears, Hanni.

She feeds on your fears.

Your tears make the psychopath happy.

"Alive," was all I could say. I was surprised I even had vocal cords. Minji nodded as if the fact that I was alive was truly a miracle.

"Do you know what day it is? How long you've been here?" I shook my head. "It's been three weeks," Minji said. Her eyes darted everywhere but at me, as if she were guilty. "I missed you, Hanni. I miss having breakfast with you, I miss lunch with you. It's not the same without you there."

That would be the most romantic confession in the history of all confessions.

That's pure sarcasm.

I continued staring into space.

"Why did you do it?" she asked, her expressions those of a wounded woman.

"I saw the basement door open and didn't think it would be such a big deal if I went in. That's all." It was a lie. I had gone into the basement hoping to find something. Some clue to her madness. Any trace of a clue to make me understand what the hell was going on with Minji.

"Have you learned your lesson?" she asked me politely.

"Yes," I said. She left her chair and knelt on the floor beside me.

"What have you learned?"

"I need to obey your rules and follow your instructions, or there will be consequences."

"Hanni, you're talking like a robot," she said, taking my hand in hers. Her brown eyes looked up at me from beneath the strands of hair on her forehead. "I don't have to remind you of this every time. Do you think I enjoy punishing you? Of course not. This is your home now, and I want you to feel comfortable here. Do you understand what I'm saying?"